Accipitriformes
Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila Heliaca )
The Raptors are a larger group of carnivorous birds. It includes the Accipitridae ( Accipitridae ), and the osprey, the Secretary and New World vultures ( Cathartidae ).
The order Falconiformes, which was traditionally performed by the trivial name " birds of prey ", only includes the family of the Falk -like ( Falconidae ), as this more closely with the parrots ( Psittaciformes ) and passerines ( Passeriformes ) are used as with the other families of the traditional birds of prey.
History of the taxon
Originally, the animals later known as birds of prey were grouped with the owls in the order of birds of prey, but replacing the owls as not closely related recognized already in the late 19th century with the others.
Has always been controversial was the position of the New World vultures, which have in the meantime also placed the storks. However, according to current opinion, they actually belong to the birds of prey and form the sister taxon of all other just such, so the family Accipitridae ( Accipiter ), Pandionidae ( Ospreys ) and Sagittariidae (Secretary ).
In molecular genetic studies in the 21st century, the Falk -like turned out to be not closely related with the other counted so far to this order families, but developed only through convergent evolution similar characteristics. In fact, they are the sister taxon of a large group to which the Psittaciformes ( Psittaciformes ) and passerines ( Passeriformes ) belong. Therefore Falcons are no longer to be called " birds of prey " in a strictly systematic sense.